If the Engineering Literature Fits, Use It! Student Application of Grey Literature and Engineering Standards

If the Engineering Literature Fits, Use It!

Student Application of Grey Literature and Engineering Standards

Chelsea Leachman

Engineering Librarian

Washington State University

Jacob Leachman

Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Washington State University

ASEE Annual Conference 2015

Seattle, WA

English 101:

College Composition

History 105:

The Roots of Contemporary Issues

Engineering 120:

Innovation in Design

• Classroom• Assignment Design• Libguide

• Classroom• Assignment Design• Tutorial

• Libguide

ME 316:

Systems Design

ME 406:

Experimental Design

ME 416:

Mechanical SystemsDesign

English402:

Technical and

Professional Writing

• Classroom • Classroom• Assignment

Design• Libguide

• Classroom • Classroom

WSU Scaffolding of Information Literacy Instruction

2

Grey Literature

Robbins, S., D. Engel, and C. Kulp," How unique are our users? Comparing responses regarding the information-seeking habits of engineering faculty", College & Research Libraries Vol. 72, No. 6, 2011, pp. 515-532.Waters, N., E. Kasuto, and F. McNaughton," Partnership between engineering libraries: Identifying information literacy skills for a successful transition from student to professional", Science and Technology Libraries Vol. 31, No. 1, 2012, pp. 124-132.

3

Classroom Context

4

ME 406 Experimental Design:

5

• Learn how to design, conduct, and report experimental investigations involving mechanical equipment and systems.

Primary objective:

Library relevant ABET student outcomes:

• Be able to use codes and handbooks

• Be able to expand understanding of a subject by reading reference books and textbooks

Local legacy:

• Minimal guidance on projects prepares students to research and operate equipment independently for first day on job.

ME 406 Process:

6

1. Intro/motivation/needs

2. Literature review/prior art

3. Theoretical performance

4. Experimental performance

5. Results/conclusions

Our Plan

7

Information Literacy Instruction

• Develop a 50 minute lecture to inform engineering students of the different literature sources available, including grey literature and standards, differentiate between the forms, and when to apply them in context.

• Investigate whether an in-class exercise requiring students to sort information based on type would influence the number and types of literature utilized in design reports.

2 primary goals for this study:

8

Framework Application

• Authority Is Constructed and Contextual

– Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It is contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required.

• Authority Is Constructed and Contextual

– Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It (authority) is contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required.

9

Set Up of Study

Spring 2014

Test Control

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Instructor A

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Instructor A

Information in Context Slides

&Worksheet

10

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Instructor A

Aerospace is an important industry. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are a rapidly growing field of aerospace.

Class Slides- ALL CLASSES

11

Class SlidesClass Slides- ALL CLASSES

12

Class Slides- TEST SECTION ONLY

13

Class SlidesClass Slides- TEST SECTION ONLY

14

Worksheet TEST

SECTION ONLY

15

What we found

16

Spring 2014 ResultsMultimedia

Multimedia0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

Spring 2014 Control (Instructor A)Spring 2014 Test (Instructor A)

17

18

Spring 2014 ResultsMonographs

Monographs0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4


19

Articles0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4


Spring 2014 ResultsArticles

20

Grey Literature0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4


Spring 2014 ResultsGrey Literature

55%

18%

18%

9%

Test Section

Company Produced Product Man-uals

Government Documents

Technical papers

Theses

21

33%

33%

33%

Control Section

Spring 2014Types of Grey Literature

22

Standards0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4


Spring 2014 ResultsStandards

Is it repeatable?

23

Fall 2014

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Instructor B

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Instructor C

Information in Context

Modified Test Set Up

24

Multimedia0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

Fall 2014 (Instructor B)Fall 2014(Instructor C)

Fall 2014 ResultsMultimedia

25

(Spring 2014 Test)

26

Monographs0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4


Fall 2014 ResultsMonographs

(Spring 2014 Test)

27

Articles0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2


Fall 2014 ResultsArticles

(Spring 2014 Test)

28

Grey Literature0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3


Fall 2014 ResultsGrey Literature

(Spring 2014 Test)

29

Fall 2014 ResultsStandards

Standards0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7


(Spring 2014 Test)

In Summary…

30

Overall

Thank You

32

Education

If the Engineering Literature Fits, Use It! Student Application of Grey Literature and Engineering Standards